Legal News Headlines

 
Copyright 2009 Boston Herald Inc.

 November 3, 2009 Tuesday
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SECTION: FINANCE; Pg. 023

LENGTH: 374 words

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This past weekend, thieves almost stole $520 of athletic gear at the Foot Locker at Braintree's South Shore Plaza.

But a sharp-eyed clerk thwarted those plans, when he noticed that the stack of 20-dollar bills in front of him were counterfeits.

``They got caught,'' said South Shore Plaza Security director John McCune.

But many others don't.

The Coalition Against Organized Retail Crime, at a media event yesterday, said sophisticated criminal enterprises steal some $30 billion worth of goods each year from U.S. retailers.

``This is no joke,'' said state Rep. Joseph Driscoll (D-Braintree), who filed retail crime-fighting legislation earlier this year.

The gangs sell the stolen items on the Internet, at flea markets or in pawn shops.

``This is not petty theft and it's not shoplifting,'' said U.S. Congressman William Delahunt. ``When we talk about organized crime, this is exactly what it is.''

But when these criminals get caught, no matter how extensive their crime spree, they are charged with the relatively minor offenses of shoplifting or larceny over $250.

On Thursday, the U.S. House Judiciary Committee is scheduled to hold a hearing on combating organized retail crime. Congress is considering three bills.

The proposed changes to state and federal law will enable prosecutors to dole out harsher punishments with a broader menu of criminal statutes, Driscoll said. They include theft via emergency exits, using a fraudulent store receipt to return merchandise and serving as the leader of an organized retail crime enterprise.

The new criminal charges would be accompanied by more serious penalties, too. Now, thieves who have been caught stealing tens of thousands of dollars in goods must post bail of $2,500 or less.

``Stiffer sentences would help,'' said McCune.

GRAPHIC: More serious than shoplifting

** 92 percent of retailers were victims of organized retail crime, up 8 percent from 2008.

** 73 percent of retailers say organized retail crime activity has increased over the past year

** Federal legislation would give law enforcement greater authority to pursue retail criminals and make it harder to resell stolen goods on the Internet.

SOURCE: National Retail Federation; Coalition Against Organized Retail Crime

STAFF PHOTO BY KELVIN MA

LOAD-DATE: November 3, 2009